Barge Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

C&O Canal Prepares To Remove Second Barge From Potomac River

Contractors at the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park are preparing this week to remove the second of two construction barges from the Potomac River.

This comes after heavy rains last month loosened the two barges from their moorings, sending them floating down the Potomac River in the Eastern Panhandle.

The contractors working with the park said it will take at least four weeks to remove the larger of the two barges, which is lodged near Harpers Ferry at the Potomac’s former Dam Number 3.

The smaller barge was pulled from the river last month after being stopped north of Shepherdstown. Plans to recover a small excavator and other equipment that fell from this barge and into the river are also being made.

The equipment was part of a restoration project at McMahon’s Mill in Williamsport, Maryland. A release from the national park said the area of the Armory Trail Canal near the extraction site in Harpers Ferry will be closed off and warns the public to not approach the barge while the process is taking place.

C&O Canal National Park Begins Removal Of Loose Potomac River Barge

Flooding last weekend caused two barges in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Park to break loose and float down the Potomac River in the Eastern Panhandle.

As of Thursday afternoon, lessened river flows allowed the smaller barge to be pulled away from the Potomac River’s Dam Number 4. Contractors involved with the situation are currently beginning the process to recover the barge at a point downstream.

An earlier update on Tuesday says some of the equipment on the barge has also been recovered, including a mini-excavator.

The larger barge is still in place near Harpers Ferry at the remnants of Potomac Dam Number 3. All of the equipment is still on board. The park says they are continuing to monitor the barge as the situation develops.

Heavy rains loosened the two barges from their moorings. The barges were part of a restoration project at McMahon’s Mill in Williamsport, Maryland.

No injuries have been reported and the national park is waiting for the Potomac’s water levels to subside to confirm any property damage.

Construction Barges Sighted Floating Down Potomac River

Two construction barges came loose from their moorings and were seen floating down the Potomac River in the Eastern Panhandle Sunday.

Updated on Monday, May 9, 2022 at 5:25 p.m.

Two construction barges came loose from their moorings and were seen floating down the Potomac River in the Eastern Panhandle Sunday.

The barges were part of a restoration project at McMahon’s Mill, a one-mile stretch of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Park that spans from Maryland to Washington, D.C.

Public information officer Christiana Hanson says the barges came loose when last weekend’s rains caused water levels in the Potomac to rise.

“That’s an area that gets really heavily impacted anytime we have high water events,” said Hanson. “So that’s what this construction project was hoping to mitigate.”

The park has confirmed that both barges are at a standstill. One traveled around 20 miles downstream before getting caught on a hydraulic roller at the ruins of former Dam Number 3 in the Harpers Ferry area. The other stopped closer to the construction site at Dam Number 4 north of Shepherdstown.

The park is waiting for water levels to subside to both retrieve the equipment and confirm if there was any property damage. Hanson says that in the meantime, those coming to the park should stay cautious and safe. Recent rainy weather means there is still standing water and muddy trails in the park. Saturated ground – meaning soil that has been overwatered with heavy rains – also means it is more likely for trees to fall.

“For events like this, everybody wants to come out and see it. It’s very visual. It’s very exciting. But I want to remind visitors, the sun is out, the rain is gone, but the impacts are still being felt,” said Hanson. “As folks are coming back into the parks or coming to see what’s going on, we really encourage them to recreate responsibly.”

As of Monday, contractors are monitoring the barges to make sure they do not move further. No injuries have been reported.

**Editor’s note: This story was edited to clarify the location of the C&O Canal and the distance the barge at Harpers Ferry traveled.

Barge Breakaway Reported on Ohio River Near Huntington

The Coast Guard says the Racine Lock and Dam on the Ohio River near Huntington is closed after a barge breakaway.

No injuries or spills were reported.

The Coast Guard said in a news release Thursday that a tug was pushing three barges loaded with more than 3.7 million gallon of natural gas condensate when it hit the lock wall around 5:30 a.m. The release said the barges broke away.

The lock and dam is closed, and the Coast Guard said it left a queue of 13 vessels that are upbound and 11 downbound.

The release said one barge is contained in the lock, and the other two and the vessel are pinned against dam gates.

The Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers and Settoon Towing Co. set up a command for the incident.

W.Va. Power Plant to Barge Coal More Quickly

Recent upgrades could help a Putnam County power plant save $10 million annually by moving coal more quickly on barges.

The $6 million investment at Appalachian Power’s John E. Amos Power Plant in Poca reduces the time to change a barge from 45 minutes to five.

Parent company spokeswoman Tammy Ridout says the company can now unload a full barge while an empty barge is pulled away. The technology became operational in April.

She says the added capability lets Appalachian Power buy more barge coal, and less delivered by trains. The company can now buy an additional 2 million tons by barge instead of rail each year with a savings of about $5 per ton.

Ridout says the change ultimately benefits power customers.